Kitty McGeever has died aged 44.
Kitty McGeever
The former 'Emmerdale' actress - who played Lizzie Lakely in the ITV soap from 2009 to 2013 - passed away "surrounded by her loving family", an ITV spokesperson has confirmed.
The spokeswoman said: "Kitty was a great talent and a true inspiration to all who worked with her. The cast and crew are devastated at her passing and she will be missed tremendously and remembered fondly by all of us."
The 44-year-old TV star became the first completely visually impaired actress to have a leading role in British soap operas and had a great impact during her four years on the programme.
Floods of Kitty's colleagues have taken to social media to share their memories of her.
Natalie Anderson, who plays Alicia Metcalfe in 'Emmerdale', wrote on Twitter: "RIP the unbelievably wonderful Kitty McGeever. An absolutely incredible inspiring and funny woman whom I was lucky enough to know. #kitty (sic)"
And Gemma Oaten (Rachel Breckle) spoke of her "infectious" laughter, writing: "So sad to hear the news our dear Kitty Mcgeever has died ... Never forget the scenes we used to have with her infectious laugh miss you xxx (sic)."
It's not yet known what the cause of death was, however Kitty - who lost her sight aged 33 - had suffered from several health problems throughout her life including problems with her heart and kidney failure.
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